World War 1

What were the aims of the Big Three at the Paris Peace Conference?   

George Clemenceu: wanted to humiliate Germany and make them pay. Also wanted Germany to give france their colonies/land (Alsace and Lorraine)

Lloyd George: wanted to make Germany pay but also wanted to re-establish trade with Germany.

Woodrow Wilson: didn’t want to make Germany pay, instead wanted ‘peace without victory’ and a league of nations.           

How did Woodrow Wilson’s 14-point plan reflected idealism and his ideas about international relations and diplomacy?

His plan reflected idealism as focused on helping everyone not just America, it offered a way in which everyone could move forward without blaming anyone, which at the time was seen as unheard of. His plan mainly focused on the idea of ‘peace without victory’, an idea which was very unpopular and unrealistic during the time period.

His plan reflected his ideas about diplomacy as he was a firm believer in self-determination. He believed all countries should be able to be independent and make their own decisions. He also believed in open dipolomacy and no-secret treatys.

His plan reflected his ideas about international relations as his 14th point was about having a League of Nations which would be an international committe to help deal with disputes. He believed that matters should be dealth with together worldwide and openly, hence his 14 point plan advocated for this.

What was the justification of limiting Germany’s military power in the Treaty of Versailles?

The justification for limiting Germany’s military powers was so that they wouldn’t attack and retalitate, especially after their harsh treatment outlined in the Treaty of Versailles. This was most imporant to France due to the close borders between France and Germany.

What was the significance of Alsace and Lorraine and why was it specifically included in the Treaty of Versailles?

Alsace and Lorraine is a territory between Germany and France. Prior to WW1 there was a war between France and Germany, Germany won this war and took Alsace and Lorraine from France.

The Treaty of Versailles outlined how it was to be returned back to France, this was seen as signifcant and the French were taking back what was once taken from them. It was also seen as a way to humiliate Germany for ‘losing’ the war. The land was also rich in resources and was hence of significant important to French people.

Russain Revolution

How did 1905 revolution in Russia contribute to the eventual success of the Bolsheviks?

The 1905 revolution was sucessful in enacting political change in Russia, it led to the emergence of political parties and demonstrated the power of the masses.

The 1905 revolution was sparked by an event known as Bloody Sunday, this event angered many of the Russian civilians and led them to lose trust and support in the Tsar.

The 1905 revolution specifically targeted peasentry, it provided them with a sense of power and authority. It planted seeds of discontent and revolutionary consciousness. Although it was not successful, it created a sense of unrest and unhappiness within Russia, as it made many civilians realise that it was time for a change.

The 1905 revolution led people to turn away from the Tsar, towards the Bolsheviks as they were promised a better life which the Provisional government was unable of providing them. The Bolsheviks promised ‘peace land and bread’, they were also more violent, revoluntionary and had a clear direction. This meant that people were more likley to side with them, leading to their eventual success.

Nazi Germany

How did the Nazi Party use propaganda?

The Nazi’s used propaganda to filter the information and knowledge accesible to German civilians. Hitler set up the “Reich Ministry of Public Enlightment and propaganda’, this was meant to tell the citizens what to feel and what to think. They used film by censoring content to only show pro-nazi beliefs. They also used newspapers, in which socialist and communist papers were banned and anything critisising the government was also prohibited. It was said that propaganda was justifiable as long as it beneffitted the cause. Ultimately, propaganda was used to manipulate people’s beliefs and keep them as loyal supporters of the state.

What were the conditions in Weimar Germany that led to the rise of the Nazi Party?

During the Weimer period as a result of treaty of Versailles there was lots of political and economic instability. This led to hyperinflation and poor living standards. The German people were very unhappy with the condition of Germany and wanted a change. The Nazi party promised to make their lives better and solve many of the issues during this time period including hyperinflation. A lot of their beliefs rejected and contradicted the terms of the TOV, this made people more likley to support the Nazi party as it provided them with a clear sense of direction, hope and stability which the Weimar Government was unable to do. Additonally, there was very little safety during this time period, as a result many civilians felt unsafe and scared to be outside. The Nazi party created a para-military, and fostered a sense of safety hence leading to the rise of Nazism in Germany.

 What was the impact of nationalism on the development of Nazism in Germany during the 1930s?

Nationalism in Germany post-WWI fueled resentment over the Treaty of Versailles, economic hardships, and a desire for a strong leader. The Treaty of Versailles,outlined severe consequences on Germany, including reduction in land, demilitarisation and reparations and the war guilt clause. This treaty created a sense humiliation among German people, further creating a desire for revenge and a restoration of national pride. Hitler during this time period then came forward and promised to restore Germany to its previous state, therefore adhering the sense of nationalism experienced by many civilians. The Nazi party further used propaganda to create a sense of unity within Germany, and further foster a nationalistic mindset. The propaganda used often appealed to their sense of nationalism, as it depicted Germany as a prospering country. The Nazi party promised to resturn Germany to its prosperous state, hence appealing to a sense of nationalism and allowing the Nazi party to rise into power.

Weimar Government

What were the difficulties faced by Germany following WWI?

The initial difficulties faced by Germany was the terms of the Treaty Of Versailles. This included land restrictions, reparations which was $132 billion marks, the war guilt clause and demilitarisation in which they were only allowed to have 100000 men, 6 war ships and no subs or airforce. These conditions created extreme economic and political instability within Germany. It also led to hyperinflation, which caused to the value of money to become almost non-existent, further creating poor living standards in Germany. Another difficulty was the Wall Street Crash, this led to the Great Depression and caused signifcant reprecussions in Germany as America withdrew their loans to Germany, leaving they eocnomically vulnerable.

What were the initial difficulties faced by the Weimar Government?

Early Weimar Government was faced with various difficulties specifcally economic and political instability, in which there was unrest from social and political groups. The difficulties included the angry mindsets of German civilians in response to the Treaty of Versailles conditions, this created lots of problems and instability in Germany. This meant that the Weimar government never had the full support of the German civilians as they were constantly being undermined by the emergence of new political groups.

What were the changes to cultural life during Weimar Germany?

Life under Weimar Germany created many cultural changes this included increased civil rights such as equality before the law and the right to assemby and association. This meant people had increased freedom and choice. There was also signifcantly more funding in the arts, leading to significant development in film and cinema and the introduction of various new art movements. These art movements included things such as modernism, which involved art that looked to the future, and new objectivity which was art that showed the world realistically. The Weimar period also led to the introduction of caberets, these challenged typical societal and gender expectations in place. Ultimately the Weimar period led to signifcant changed to the art within Germany, enableing creativity and paving the way to more social freedom in Germany.

Extended Response: Nazi propaganda and policies against the Jews

The Nazi Party implemented various laws and policies, as well as using propaganda in order to persecute and discriminate againts the Jewish population in Germany.

During this time period, the Nazi party introduced various laws that limited the rights and freedom of Jewish people. One of the major laws was the Nuremberg race laws, these laws stripped Jewish people of their citizenship and prohibited marraige between Jews and Non-Jews. The aim of this law was to breed out the Jewish race and create a suporior Aryan race within Germany. Another law was the Decree in Jewish Name, this forced Jewish people to add ‘Israel’ if they were a boy or “Sara if they were a girl to the front of their names. This marked them for being Jewish and made it easier for them to be targeted. They were also required to wear the Star of David, this meant that they were more likley to be targeted and discriminated against for being Jewish. The Nazi party used identification laws to create a segregation between the ‘Aryan’ race and the Jewish race, leading to increased mistreatment and discrimination against Jews. There were also various laws imposed on the employment and education on Jewish people, including restrictions on Jewish children enrollments in schools. This was because the Nazi party did not want Jewish people to be educated, as education was seen as being veyr powerful and the Nazi party did not want Jewish people to become powerful, as they were fearful that they would take over. Ultimately, the Nazi Party used implemented laws against Jewish people in order to segregate and alienate them from society to further enforce racial purity.

During this time period, the Nazi party used propaganda in order to persecute Jewish people. Propaganda was firstly seen in use in schools. German boys and girls were exposed to Anti-semitism propaganda from a young age, in which Jewish people were depicted as being the villians. This was used to further create an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ environment in Germany. Propaganda was also used to justify the actions taken by government that discriminated against the Jews, it was used to make the public accept the mistreatment of the Jews by depiciting it as the correct and right thing to do. By using propaganda to portraythe mistreatment of Jews as justified and necessary, the government was able togain the support and loyalty of German civilians. The emphasis on racial purity further fueled the persecution of Jews and reinforced the idea of their inferiority. Propaganda during this period was seen almost everywhere, with posters plastered on walls, articles in newspapers, and films screened in cinemas all depicted Jewish inferiority and the necessity of their persecution. Through this propaganda the mistreatment of Jews was not only normalized but glorified and deemed essential for the purification of the German race. Propaganda depicted the Jewish race as sub-human, with many posters accentuating their features, this led to the discriminatory treatment and sterotyping of Jewish people in society. Ultimately, by manipulating perceptions, instilling fear and hatred, and glorifying acts of violence against Jewish individuals, the Nazi Party used propaganda to alienate the Jewish race in society.